Ultra marathon slated Saturday

Katherine Silvia/Bluffton Today Delirium Ultra Endurance Race participants will circle the 1.7-mile nature trail for either six, 12 or 24 hours. The trail circles the Buckwalter Place development near the intersection of the Bluffton and Buckwalter parkways.

Runners will loop the Buckwalter Nature Trail — again and again and again — during Bluffton’s first “ultra marathon” on Saturday.

Ultra marathons appeal to those runners seeking more of a challenge than the conventional 26.2-mile version.

“Most ultra runners started with marathons and then they said, ‘What’s next?’ One of the main reasons that ultra runners continue to go longer and longer and longer is they try to get to that sense of how far they can go physically,” said race organizer Tim Waz of Lowcountry Ultras.

The 65 runners signed up for what is billed as the Delirium Ultra Endurance Race will circle the 1.7-mile nature trail for either six, 12 or 24 hours.

The trail circles the Buckwalter Place development near the intersection of the Bluffton and Buckwalter parkways.

“A lot of people were involved with putting this trail together, working hand-in-hand with the town of Bluffton; when Tim approached us about putting this event together we though it was a great opportunity,” said Buckwalter Place developer Matt Green.

“We want to encourage outdoor activity in Bluffton and the greater Bluffton area. That’s the purpose of the trail,” he said.

“As far as Buckwalter Place, we like energy and synergy and these guys certainly bring a lot of energy,” Green said.

The event also showcases the mixed-use concept of Buckwalter Place, he said.

“It’s a true testament of how this environment collaborates and works together. It fits within our vision and master plan, not just with the Buckwalter Place project but the region as a whole,” Green said.

All three races begin at 10 a.m. Saturday. The six-hour race will end at 4 p.m. Saturday, the 12-hour race at 10 p.m. Saturday and the 24-hour race at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Organizers estimate the 24-hour runners will cover 130-140 miles. Medalists will complete 50 kilometers in six hours, 50 miles in 12 hours or 85 miles in 24 hours.

“One guy I anticipate will run over 140 miles; and we’ll see at least five or six guys over 120 miles,” Was said.

Race volunteers will monitor runners along the course and place light sticks along the trail to guide runners, who also will carry or wear a light source.

Runners registered for the ultra marathon are from 17 states; 68 percent are male and 32 percent are female, according to Waz.

About half the runners are between 30 and 40 years old; 28 percent are between 40 and 50; 8 percent are older than 50. The youngest runner is 24; the oldest is 67.

“We wanted to have a cold weather event,” Waz said. “When we started planning we looked at the almanac and Feb. 11 should have been the coldest weekend of the year.”

But “near perfect” weather is OK too, he said. “It looks like we’ll have a high of 65 and low of about 45.”